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Saturday, September 26, 2009

This Ford Galaxie convertible has had quite a history, and continues to make history.

It all started in 1970. The frugal, democratically elected, and Socialist president, Salvador Allende, needed a nice car for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Chile. So he picked out a used, four-year old convertible.

It was used at parades and ceremonies welcoming VIPs, including comrade Fidel Castro.

This act, obviously, pissed off the Americans and reactionaries within Chile. Pinochet took over in a bloody coup and changed everything-- economic policy, democratic ideals, etc. But the general did not change the official presidential ride.

Pinochet right after he came into power

Pinochet in the later years

Even after Pinochet gave up power, his democratically elected successors all kept the Galaxie. Although a Peugeot is current President Bachelet's official daily ride, the old Galaxie is still brought out for special occasions.

2 comments:

There is a mistake in this post. That Car was a gift from the Queen Elizabeth II, when she visted Chile on late 60's to President Eduardo Frei. And from then on was used as the presidential car, however in the formal ceremonies the tradition dictates that the presidential carriage shall be used. But Allende says that the carriage represented the rich, hence he uses the Galaxy. Pinochet used it for security reasons it was easier and faster to escape in a galaxy that in a carriage, later on it was dropped for an armored Mercedes w126 500SEL.After Pinochet the carriage was used and then all socialist presidents used the Galaxy and not the carriage, Piñera uses both.